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The 205-foot Scream drop tower ride at Six Flags Fiesta Texas is getting a virtual reality upgrade 18 years after the ride first opened.
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. and Samsung Electronics America have partnered on “Drop of Doom VR,” a 360-degree virtual reality experience that coincides with the ride using the Samsung Gear VR headset. The interactive piece will simulate an aerial gun battle with giant spiders while riders drop and ascend the Scream tower at the San Antonio park.
The feature is slated to open July 14 and will initially be available to riders without additional charges. The virtual reality experience will eventually carry an extra charge.
“The innovative technology of Samsung Gear VR allows us create a variety of different experiences on various rides like this newest version on our Scream Tower Drop attraction,” Park President Jeffrey Siebert said in a news release Thursday.
Theme park groups are increasingly using virtual reality components to freshen up old rides and add new attractions without spending millions of dollars on capital investment at their parks, already cramped for space.
Last year, Six Flags Fiesta Texas added a virtual reality component to its Superman Krypton Coaster that simulates flying through the fictional city of Metropolis during a fight with Superman’s nemesis Lex Luthor. SeaWorld Entertainment announced in September plans to add virtual reality to the Kraken roller coaster at its Orlando park.
But, theme park companies are still investing in new rides. This summer, Six Flags Fiesta Texas plans to open its new Thunder Rapids rocket blast water coaster while SeaWorld San Antonio is slated to open its new Wave Breaker roller coaster.
jfechter@express-news.net
Twitter: @JFreports
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